When an Era Ends
by Forefront
Summary: On the final stretch of the Grand Line the Strawhats learn who Luffy really is, and the legacy behind some of the world's most closely guarded secrets. Excitement, mystery, and love are discovered, but when darkness and despair come flowing from the sea only one with the name of D can remain.
1. Of Dreams and Heroes

A/N: Hey friends! I have had this story in the back of my mind for a few years now. I wrote a one shot called 'Dreaming of the Past' and wanted to continue it into a full story. I have begun that process now, and this is what I have come up with. I hope you guys enjoy. Also, this story has been brought forward in the OP timeline to take place towards the end of the New World.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, or the characters.

Of Dreams and Heroes

"I'm gonna kill you Luffy!" Nami screamed as she chased her childish Captain around the deck for the tenth time.

"I'll get him for you Nami-swaaan!" Sanji called heroically as he leaped from the top of the Thousand Sunny's cabin. "Give it back you idiot!"

"Shishishi." Luffy chuckled. "This is fun. What's so important about this thing anyway Nami?" He asked as he grabbed the top of the mast with an extremely outstretched arm, just evading Sanji's grasp.

"It's my diary you idiot! Don't you know what a diary is?"

"Is there food in it?" Luffy asked, holding it by the corner with his thumb and index finger.

"No you idiot, it's a book!" Nami yelled as she attempted to scale the mast.

"Wha...?" Luffy said in confusion. "Why would you lock a book? Well, here you go; I don't really like to read." He tossed the diary onto the deck of the ship. Sanji dove off the mast to retrieve it, but was met mid air by a punch in the face from Nami who never was able to climb it. She picked up her diary and headed to the women's quarters to lock it away in a new hiding place.

'Jeez,' she thought. 'He can be such a stupid jerk.' She had finally found a place to keep her diary hidden from the boys, and sat down on her bed. It wasn't late by any means. In fact, it wasn't even dinner time yet, but for some reason, all the day's stress was wearing on her. She laid back and closed her eyes, letting sleep quickly overcome her.

She screamed. It was all she could do to express her rage as she repeatedly stabbed at the mark on her shoulder, in a desperate attempt to remove herself from an eight year long torment. A hand grasped hers firmly. She struggled but couldn't plunge the blade in again. She looked up and saw him. The young man who seemed to live without fear; without regret. She hated him. She hated him for being so carefree and happy. Why couldn't she be that way?

"Leave!" She screamed at him before continuing her tears. After a moment, she realized that he wouldn't go. For some reason, he stood by, hand on her shoulder as she cried into her hands. She turned to him when she could finally take no more by herself.

"Luffy, help me." He placed his straw hat on her head, and knelt down behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, gently resting his cheek against hers.

"Okay." He whispered.

Nami stretched as she sat up out of bed.

'What was that?' She asked herself. "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know." Nami turned, startled at the voice. She turned to see Robin sitting, brushing her hair. "You kept saying Captain-san's name in your sleep."

"I…" Nami struggled for words to explain.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything." Robin smiled. The older woman was at least someone Nami could trust. She didn't want to think what kind of drama that a dream like that could cause on this ship. She got out of bed, and looked at the clock. It was ten in the morning. She had slept through dinner, and breakfast, but it didn't matter really, she only wanted to clear her head. She took a shower, and got dressed, but couldn't get that dream out of her mind. Deciding that she would start her next map out in the sun, she walked through the galley seeing Sanji at the counter probably preparing lunch.

"Nami-swan! Good morning, would you like a snack before lunch? You haven't eaten in a while." Sanji noted with hearts in his eyes. Nami usually didn't bother with him when he did this, but she needed to take her mind off things. Maybe this was her chance.

"Umm, I'm not really hungry, but I could go for something to drink…"

"Right away Nami-swan!" Sanji cut her off and almost dove into the fridge for some ingredients for whatever it was that he was going to make.

'Maybe it's not such a good idea. It wouldn't be good to use him to make myself feel better, even if he would enjoy it.' She giggled softly to herself at the comedy that was Sanji's unrequited love for all the women he met. He ran over and handed a glass to her. She tasted the drink, and was not surprised by its extraordinary taste. Sanji was always sweet. Even if he constantly took it too far and tried too often, the thought was nice and always made Nami feel special. She took her drink and headed for the main deck.

"Aah!" She shouted as she opened the door and got sprayed by hundreds of big raindrops. She slammed the door shut before she got soaked, and turned around. "Aagh!" She exclaimed in frustration as she stomped her way through the galley, slamming her full drink on the table as she left.

She spent the rest of the day extraordinarily bored. She couldn't work on her maps, or look through her accounting logs, or anything that she normally did to occupy her time. All she did, all rainy day, was to think about Luffy. She lay on her bed and thought about him. She pulled out some paper, and instead of a map, she drew a picture of his face, smile as wide as could be. Everything she did that day revolved around the thought of her Captain.

'I… like him?' She asked herself finally, knowing the question was already answered. She had been trying to convince herself otherwise for a while, and had found it utterly useless. The question was no longer whether or not she liked him. Now it was, 'What do I do about it?' She got up from her desk, and made her way out to the galley.

"Nami-swan…" Sanji called.

"I'm sorry Sanji, but I need to speak with Luffy right now. Have you seen him anywhere?" Sanji stood against the wall. He lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs before grasping it between two fingers and removing it from his lips to speak. "Hmm, I saw him at lunch and dinner, but not for the rest of the day. I'm not sure where he is."

"You'd think that he would be hard to lose." Nami said as she went to search the ship. She looked everywhere she could think. She checked the men's quarters, the bathrooms, the closets, even in the fridge, as Sanji had found him sleeping inside it a few nights ago. She stopped in the middle of the passageway to think.

'Well, I guess he could be there. I wouldn't put it past him to do something that strange.' She walked through the galley, grabbing an umbrella from beside the door, and headed out onto the deck. The rain was coming down hard and heavy. The sea was calm, and there was no wind, but nevertheless, the rain poured. She looked around and didn't see anything at first. Then, she made her way to the aft deck. 'No way!' She thought as she spied Zoro asleep in the downpour. However, it was not Zoro that she needed to find. She looked up toward the crow's nest and saw Usopp perched on watch with an umbrella. It seemed hopeless, and she turned to walk back inside. As she did, she spotted a familiar figure sitting cross-legged on top of the cabin, drenched, and smiling that same wide smile that always seemed to make the world into a giant playground.

"Nami! Hey what's up?" Luffy said as he waved to her, feet dangling from the cabin roof. He smiled again. Such a big, toothy grin, that made the deck of the Thousand Sunny seem like the happiest place in the world.

"Hey Luffy, um… what are you doing out here?" She inquired. Luffy turned his face toward the sky and closed his eyes, letting the rain bounce off his already dripping face. He sat like that for a few seconds before looking back at Nami and smiling again.

"The rain is warm. It feels really good!" He exclaimed innocently. Nami stuck her hand out to test the temperature of the water, and realized that it was in fact, very warm. "You should sit in the rain with me." He extended his invitation by patting the space next to him and holding out his hand to help her up. She had no intention of ditching the umbrella, but didn't want to miss an opportunity to speak with him alone. Not tonight, because she had something important to ask him. She took his hand and placed her foot on the wall. He grabbed her umbrella with his free hand, holding it over her as she climbed up.

"Thanks." She said as she took the umbrella back. She realized that her butt was getting wet from her new seat, but decided that it was too late. "So, how long have you been out here?" She asked, attempting to break the ice.

"All day... except for lunch and dinner of course." He replied absently.

"What have you been doing out here?"

"Thinking." Nami was surprised by his answer. She had expected him to say something childish. Luffy had his moments, but she never took him for the type of person to sit and relish in his thoughts for any extended period of time.

"About what?" She asked after a short silence.

"All kinds of stuff." He said, still looking off into space. He seemed to still be engulfed by whatever thoughts those were.

"Oh…" She wasn't sure what to say next, but found that she didn't have to think about it long. It was now or never, and she knew that she couldn't live with never. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shishishi, sure. What is it?" He seemed genuinely interested and sincere in his response, even though he continued to look to the sky. Nami felt a lump in her throat, but swallowed it hard as she readied her question.

"Why…" She stumbled on the words. "Why did you choose me, as your nakama?" She looked at him with anticipation. She wished she could take back the question, but wanted the answer more than anything.

"I could tell you were special when I first saw you." He said matter-of-factly. "There was a lot going on, but when I saw you escaping from that ship that Alvida attacked, I said to myself, 'Luffy, you need to meet her.'" She was stunned. She could barely remember, but she had seen him too.

"You remembered that? I thought you didn't know." Luffy chuckled.

"Shishishi. Of course, I never forgot. When we were in Cocoyashi village, and I saw how sad you were, I decided that I was right. I will protect all my nakama, but you're special. I don't know why, but I want _you_ to be happy more than anything else." He spoke toward the sky, leaning back onto his hands and kicking his feet against the cabin wall. The innocence and naivety in his voice attested to the fact that he really didn't understand his own feelings.

Nami felt the blood instantly rush to her cheeks, and was glad that Luffy was not looking at her. She looked away from him, attempting to regain her composure. She felt butterflies rise up in her stomach, and turned back to him.

"Luffy…" She said seriously and soft. He turned his head as she was hoping he would, and as their eyes met in the rain, she leaned close to him and pressed her lips softly into his. She drew in a quick breath through her nose, and lingered for only a few moments. She held her umbrella in one hand over both of them as she pulled away slightly. She looked into his eyes as they sparkled with astonished wonder, and glistening drops of rainwater trickled off his black bangs.

"Cool…" He said softly, unable to gain enough breath for a sentence. Nami giggled at his lack of charm and sophistication.

"Luffy, you're special to me too. I want you to know that." She dropped her umbrella and threw her arms around his neck. This time, he leaned to her as well. Placing one hand on her hip, and one on her cheek, he pressed his lips into hers. Her lips parted allowing his tongue to touch hers gently as they deepened the kiss, losing themselves in passionate embrace.

They sat for a while, talking and laughing, both soaked to the bone in the pouring rain. Her head on his shoulder, both kicking their legs as they dangled off over the deck below.

"Well, I should go to bed. It's pretty late already, and we still have a lot of sailing ahead before we get to the next island." Luffy jumped down and turned to help her climb off as well. He looked at her excitedly.

"Oooh! Really, what kinda island is it? I hope it's one with lots of adventure!" He turned and leaned against the railing, looking out over the sea with his usual innocent excitement.

"Um, I think I'll leave the adventuring to you. Don't think you'll get any more money from me though. You still owe me Luffy." She smiled and kissed him good night before walking back down to through the galley, leaving Luffy standing in the rain by himself. She felt relieved as she laid herself down to bed. Finally, she could dream of the future, and not the past.

It had been almost two weeks since she had shown him the first sign of affection. That one kiss in the rain grew into several nights of blissful romance. Sitting under the night sky, just him and her. Well, there was usually someone else on watch, but she ensured that they always sat directly under the crow's nest in case of prying eyes and the tendency of her crewmates to meddle in the affairs of others. She wasn't quite ready to make this whole situation a public ordeal, and found that it was surprisingly easy to keep it a secret. Sanji was oblivious to reality when he was around Nami, Usopp and Chopper spent most of their time together, Zoro slept, and Franky didn't seem to care if he did know. Robin was the only one that she couldn't keep the secret from, but she was glad to have an honest, female ear to hear her thoughts. Although she never responded much, she would smile warmly every time Nami would recap the night's conversation with her. Luffy, it seemed, was in no way going to give up the secret. Whether it was because he understood the situation, or didn't understand at all, Nami wasn't sure, but he hadn't said anything yet. In fact, during the day, he acted no different toward her. He never looked at her any different than before, and never spoke to her any different. He didn't show her any extra affection in the presence of others, or when they were alone, except during the nights on the deck. She never complained though, because the nights they spent together were otherworldly. Something out of a strange fantasy that never really happened. Nothing elaborate or even planned, but always special. They always sat, feet dangling off the side of the cabin, her head on his shoulder. They spoke about all kinds of things, and she had learned a lot about Luffy during those nights. Not that he was exceedingly deep or anything, but he had incredible dreams, and a resolve that seemed impossible for one man to bear. He was an incredible person, and the more she came to know him intimately, the more her feelings for him grew. She didn't want to say that she was in love, but she knew it was the only possible destination on the path they were walking together. The only problem however, was also the reason she liked him. His childlike persona made it impossible for her to tell how he felt about her. He enjoyed their nights together, that much was clear, but she could not decipher the particular reason. Was it some kind of game to him? Did he know what her kisses meant? She was going to find out, and there was no way that she was going to let go of something that seemed so perfect to her.

It was late in the morning when she crawled slowly out of bed. She hadn't felt hungry when she awoke earlier, so she had gone back to sleep to waste some of what would be a long, boring day. It was sometime past eleven in the morning when she finally made her way to the main deck. The sun was high and hot, and everyone seemed to be relaxing as usual. Zoro was asleep against the railing. Chopper and Usopp were playing some sort of card game which Usopp was creating rules for as they went. Robin was laying on her deck chair reading. Sanji was setting up an interesting picnic type lunch, and Franky and Luffy were nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Luffy?" Nami asked. Without looking up from her book, Robin pointed straight up toward the crow's nest. Nami looked up, and sure enough, there was her Captain. He was perched on top of the mast, with his hand cupped over his eyes to block out the sun.

"What's he looking at up there?" She asked to herself as she squinted to see his shadowy outline in the sun. She shrugged her shoulders, deciding that whatever he was doing, he would come down when lunch was served. She walked to the railing and leaned her hands on it, peering out over the ocean. 'No land out there.' Nami thought. She stood for a moment pondering how she would spend her day, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see no one near her, and looked at the deck to see if something had hit her. As she looked down, she felt another tap on the back of her head. Turning her gaze toward the tapping, she saw a hand above her head. It was Luffy's, who was still sitting on the mast, and had stretched his hand out to get her attention. He motioned her to come up, and offered to give her a lift. Nami grabbed his wrist warily, not sure of what to expect next. He grasped firmly to her wrist in return, and with a speed that caused a surprised yelp to escape her, hoisted her to his arms at the top of the mast. He set her down once he was certain she had her balance, and smiled broadly. That same toothy white grin he always had. His black hair dancing in the wind. His big innocent eyes that caused her to melt more and more as of late. She knew that whatever the situation was, she was glad to be there with him.

She looked toward the water over the bow of the ship. It was hard to maintain her balance on the thin wooden beam that now supported her weight high above the deck of the ship. Luckily, Luffy had set her down next to a crew line she grabbed immediately. Once she had gained her balance, she looked toward Luffy, only to see him watching her with that smile. She blushed slightly, and looked down into her lap to avoid awkward eye contact. Luffy ignored her embarrassment however, and peered again into the horizon. He seemed entranced with something that Nami could not see. She stared out over the never ending waves of the Grand Line, wishing that she could see with his eyes.

"Nami." Luffy spoke softly and frankly, showing a serious side of himself that she saw little of. "Someday I will be Pirate King. I know it." His gaze was fixed forward as he spoke in an unfamiliar tone. Nami stared at him, seeing him in a different way than ever before. She watched him intently as he crouched, one hand on his beloved straw hat to prevent the sea winds from claiming it. The salty air was cool, and the breeze carried the smell of fresh baked bread.

"That's strange. We shouldn't be near an island yet." Nami checked the log post, and was correct in assuming that it would point them straight in the direction they were headed. She looked back to Luffy, and realized that he hadn't moved. He still stared off into the distance, pondering some deep thought.

"There's land close. I feel him waiting for me. It's time to give it back." Nami was confused by his straight face and stern voice. He was speaking in riddles, and sounded like a prophet.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Nami asked, concerned for her Captain, and about what kind of trouble could make him act the way he was. "Luffy, what's wrong? You're scaring me…" He turned his head and smiled big. That smile that could ease the minds of the whole world.

"Shishishi, I'm hungry. Is it lunch yet?" Nami stared at him for a moment, puzzled. Wasn't he just worried about something? He leaned close, almost touching his face to hers. "Ready?" He asked.

"Mmhmm." She barely managed to say. Suddenly, to her great surprise and disappointment, instead of a kiss, she was swept up into his arms and they were both headed fast toward the deck. Luffy landed with a thud on his feet, and a moment later on his butt, as his legs gave way from the impact.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?" Nami jumped up screaming, and punched Luffy on the back of his head.

"Oi, Luffy." Zoro's voice broke through the noise with a calm urgency. Luffy turned a questioning face to Zoro, who stood with his forearm resting on his katana. "There's another pirate ship ahead isn't there?"

"Hmm." Luffy nodded in confirmation.

"How do you know?" Chopper asked.

"He can feel it. Somebody dangerous is not far off." Zoro replied as he leaned against the cabin wall, eyes closed and arms folded over his chest.

"It's not that hard to tell. The air seems thicker. This one won't be fun." Sanji chimed in, puffing a cigarette and finishing the last touches on his gourmet picnic lunch. It was then that Luffy noticed the beautiful spread laid out on the deck of the ship. Cakes and pastries, wines and sake, cooked vegetables, and lots of delicious meats were sprawled out on a picnic cloth, ready to be devoured. It only took a moment for the view to completely sink in, and Luffy sprang like a madman toward his lunch. He took a last dive at the food, but was met midair in the face by Sanji's foot. He fell with a thud on the deck, and sat up grabbing his nose with both hands.

"Ladies first! You can wait for yours!" Sanji yelled, curly eyebrows furled.

"Aww… But I'm hungry." Luffy whined, as everyone else walked over to the meal and sat down.

"There's nothing wrong with waiting your turn." Nami flirted discreetly as she sat down next to him.

"As long as I get some meat, but hurry up! I want it to be my turn!" Luffy shouted.

'Well, maybe I don't need an answer right now.' Nami thought to herself. 'One of us needs to be patient, and it's not going to be him.' Sanji handed full plates to both Robin and Nami, and lunch was served.

It was about three o'clock in the afternoon when Nami stepped on deck. She had decided to spend the few hours after lunch in her room, putting the finishing touches on her newest map. There was nothing else to do, and Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were keeping quiet about whatever it was that they were worried about. She walked down the steps to the main deck, and peered out over the ocean. It was calm, but ahead looked like rain. She could feel the air getting heavy and thick, and knew that it would be a good storm. She turned around, and saw no one else. She went to the aft deck to find Zoro, once again, asleep. She walked over and nudged him gently.

"Oi, what now?" Zoro scowled at her with one eye open. She knelt beside him and looked at the sky.

"It's going to storm. We need to take in the sails." She said, and stood up to walk away. "I'll get the others."

"Oi…" Zoro sighed in agreement.

It wasn't long before all of the crewmembers were on deck, furling sails and securing crew lines. They had become increasingly efficient at the task and in no time at all, had completed their jobs and were sitting in the galley sipping hot chocolate.

"This is good Sanji." Nami smiled as she took a small sip.

"It smells great!" Luffy yelled as he downed half of his cup in a split second, before realizing what he had done. "Yeeooww!" Luffy screamed as he leaped from his chair and ran outside, leaving the door wide open and the rain pouring in on the floor.

"I got it!" Sanji yelled mid-sprint. He slammed the door and collapsed with his back against it. He sighed, and the room was silent for a moment, before the whole crew burst into laughter at once.

"Captain-san really is ridiculous sometimes." Robin said as even she couldn't contain her laughter. Nami stood up, trying to settle herself.

"I think I'll go see if he's okay." She said between chuckles. Sanji stood up, with hearts in his eyes, and began in his most pleasant tone.

"It's raining Nami-swan. Allow me to check on the idiot." He floated lightly through the air towards her, hoping for some kind of return affection. Nami, completely impervious to his passes and worn charm, grabbed an umbrella from beside the doorway.

"I got it Sanji, thanks." She said dismissively as she passed him without as much as a glance. She walked through the door, and Sanji fell to his face, crushed again.

Nami walked out onto the main deck of the Thousand Sunny to see an extraordinarily calm and misleading night. The rain was coming down heavy, but the sky and ocean were smooth and clear. It seemed strange, even by the standards of the Grand Line. Many times had the sea of this wildly treacherous stretch of ocean tossed their tiny ship for hours, only to snow on them for twenty minutes and give way to a beautiful sunny afternoon. This was what was strange though. There was no island near, but the weather was becoming more and more regular. She couldn't even predict it anymore. By her best estimate, they should have been in a massive storm. This was not what she expected, and that frightened her. She looked around the deck once, and saw the figure of her Captain, leaning over the railing. She walked over and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. Leaning over to see him, she realized that he had stretched his neck down to the water, and was using the ocean to soothe his burned tongue.

"Luffy, are you okay? You have to be more careful. Hot cocoa is called hot for a reason." She lightly rubbed his back as she chided him. "You're such an idiot sometimes."

"Wuhwawalaoowa." He mumbled in response. He pulled his tongue out of the ocean, and came back over the railing, breathing heavily. "Ocean tastes gross." He stated matter-of-factly. Nami could no longer contain herself, as she broke into a fit of laughter. Luffy with his tongue still hanging out, watched her laugh for a moment.

"Nami, you're really pretty when you laugh." He commented. She paused; confused for a moment that he would say such a thing. Then, she suddenly let the compliment sink in, and blushed quite a bit. She looked down and smiled, finding herself once again trying to regain her composure in front of him.

"Thanks." She managed finally, and looked up to meet his gaze. Luffy however, had already moved away, and was standing up on the figurehead looking straight out over the ocean. Nami hurried next to him to see what it was that had caught his attention, when she realized that he was looking at a small light shining in the distance, just bright enough to show in the early dusk.

"What is that Luffy?" She questioned, squinting as if she would be able to see farther doing so.

"It's him. He's waiting for me." Nami looked up at him, and realized that he had that serious look on his face again. One hand holding his hat on, he stared at the light, not moving. His eyes were wide, aggressive almost. Apprehension was something new from Luffy, and she found herself afraid of a situation she knew nothing about.

"Who?" She asked, a quiver in her voice that she hadn't expected. "Who's there? Is something wrong?" He stood perfectly still, staring at the ominous light as if he was being beckoned.

"Get everyone here." He ordered sternly.

"Luffy, what's…?"

"Please Nami." He cut her off, almost yelling.

"Okay." She turned and ran to the galley, hands clenched in fear and anxiety over whatever it was that had Luffy so spooked that he would bark orders; at her.

There was silence. They stood in the rain, in the dark. No one dared speak before their captain. They all understood the seriousness of the situation, and if Luffy wasn't smiling, then they sure weren't going to either. Everyone had been just staring at the small light in the distance for some time when Luffy finally turned to face them. He kept on top of the figurehead, but sat down to explain his situation. Nami was relieved that he was finally going to speak, and abandoned her umbrella to Robin, moving forward to better hear.

"That light. It's coming from a pirate ship. The ship is next to a small island." Luffy began softly.

"That's not possible. I don't have any record of an island being there, and the currents aren't moving as if we were that close to land." Nami was slightly bothered by his prediction.

"The currents are lying." Zoro replied. "There's an island there for sure."

"The currents never lie, Zoro. That's why I'm the navigator. I can read those currents like a book…"

"I'm sorry Nami, but there is an island there. It's home to pirates." Luffy scanned his crew's faces before settling his eyes back on Nami. "I can feel them. I know them. Usopp does too." The crew turned to Usopp who was staring at the ground with a frightened look on his face. He looked up before he spoke.

"It's my father." A few gasps escaped into the air as surprise hit the rest of the straw hats.

"Your dad's over there!" Chopper yelled, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

"Yeah, I can feel him. Just like Luffy said. I don't know how, but I know he's over there. Although, I'm not sure why, but something doesn't feel right. It almost feels like danger." Usopp's expression was decidedly worried, and he seemed to be struggling with an explanation for his prediction. Luckily, Luffy took the conversation from him, for his own explanation.

"It is danger. I have felt his presence for the last couple of days now. I knew he was getting closer, but I wasn't sure until now. He wants a fight, 'cause he can't let me be the King of Pirates without beating him." Luffy was still serious, but was now more relaxed, seemingly because he was able to get his troubles off of his chest. At least, that's what Nami assumed it to be.

"Wait, I don't get it. Why would Usopp's dad want to fight with you?" Franky asked.

"Not Usopp's dad." Zoro took the question. "Red Haired Shanks." He looked at Luffy with a smirk.

"Red Haired Shanks? Isn't he your friend? Why would he be after you?" Robin was curious.

"Because," Luffy replied as a sly smile crept across his face. "He wants his hat back."


	2. Island in the Sun

_A/N: Well, it's been forever since I wrote that first chapter. I never really even got started on this. I think I was halfway through chapter 2 at some point, but was never really happy with where it was headed. So… attempt number 2._

Disclaimer: I pity the fool who thinks I own One Piece! Er… cuz I don't.

Island in the Sun

She ruffled through her closet in search of some clothing that would be appropriate for their expedition. This was the first time that the navigator had ever been surprised by the siting of land in her entire life, and she had never felt more unprepared. Luckily, the island that they had come upon so unexpectedly was hot and sunny, the one climate for which she'd never had trouble dressing. The problem seemed to be, that she didn't have much clean at the moment. Laundry was something that she – or Sanji – usually took care of between islands. This time however, she had not gotten around to the task, and she needed something to wear immediately. She came across a swimsuit that she had almost forgotten about in the very back of the closet. It wasn't ugly, but she had never really felt that it matched her mood. It was a very bright colored two-piece bikini, swathed in bright shades of orange. It was covered in small flower designs and the hem and strings that tied around her neck and back were solid yellow. She grabbed a pair of off-white colored shorts and some slip on shoes to complete the outfit, and went to check herself in the mirror. It didn't look bad, but somehow it made her seem younger. There was no point in worrying about it though, so grabbing a tie she pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail, grabbed her Clima-tact off the bed, and headed out to the deck. It was hot, almost swelteringly so, as they approached the small "mystery island" as it had been dubbed by their captain. Strange as it was, he was actually right for once, and she knew they would have to move with caution as long as they were docked here. They were almost at the shore when she realized, as she had many times before, that caution was a luxury they would never obtain.

Luffy was leaning over the ship's railing, staring at the small island. He wore his customary sandals and dark blue denim shorts tied at the top with a large, gold belt. His red button-up flapped in the wind as it hung unbuttoned as ever, and his prized straw hat draped from the string around his neck. The slight, jittery movements he made were a strong indication of the excitement he was feeling, and she knew that he would run off at the first chance. She sighed, knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop him, and hoping that he would not cause too much trouble. She had never been able to stop Luffy from doing what he wanted, and as much as things might be different between them, there was a lot that remained the same. She frowned slightly at the thought. Did she want things to be different? Either way, Luffy would do whatever Luffy would do; and in the end, everything would work out.

"It's time to land. Everyone, get ready!" she shouted. The crew needed no more explanation than that, and began about their tasks with incredible efficiency. They had done it many times over the last several years. Franky steered, Robin released lines, and the boys would set about taking down the sails. All the while, Nami would supervise. It was her favorite job, and she was good at it too. After a few minutes, everything had been prepared and they watched in excitement as the shoreline inched closer. At a distance, there was nothing special about the white-sand beach that stretched across the entire face of the island except that it was eerily quiet. They could see the forest rising just beyond like a dark, green carpet lying on top of the sea, and the small island seemed more like wilderness than the home of pirates. It appeared that no one had ever been there at all.

"Oi, Sanji-kun." Nami questioned the cook as he came to stand beside her. "Do you really think someone is there? It looks deserted."

"Ah, someone's there. There's no mistaking it." He closed his eyes as he placed a cigarette between his lips and gave it a light. Then he swooned as hearts formed in his eyes. "Never fear Nami-swan, I will protect you at all costs!"

"Ah, I'll be counting on you Sanji-kun," she smiled.

They dropped anchor a short ways from the shoreline, and rowed in the rest of the way. There was no port or dock to be seen anywhere, so after landing, Franky made his way back to the Sunny to keep watch. The air was muggy, and even the breeze from the sea seemed hotter than usual. Even so, the white-sand beach was pristine in both directions to where the curve of the island turned out of sight behind the trees. Immediately upon reaching the island, Luffy began to rush here and there deciding which way he would run off to first. It was customary, but for some reason, the young navigator was concerned more than usual.

"Oi, Luffy." She said nervously, brushing a strand of bright orange hair from her eyes, but he would not listen. He was now in Luffy-ville, where the population was one, and everything was a toy.

"Ohooooo! A jungle island! I wonder what kind of food is in there. Probably delicious meat." He said, drooling as he inched toward the tree line. He didn't even notice as Nami stalked up beside him, the vein in her forehead pulsing ever so slightly. He did notice, when she punched him in the head, knocking him face first into the sand.

"Itai…" Luffy said as he stood up, rubbing the large lump rising from under his hair.

"Listen!" Nami began in a huff. "We need be careful. Didn't you say that one of the Yonkou is on this island? Shouldn't you be a little more cautious?" Luffy just stared at her with that same blank expression that meant he had no idea, or care, as to what she was saying.

"Ugh," she sighed. "Sanji, Robin, Usopp, will you go with Luffy? Chopper, Brooke, Zoro, and I will go together as well. Try to stay out of trouble, and use your den-den-mushi if you need to contact us. I don't want any surprises this time." It was hard to remember any stop on the Grand Line that had not included at least a few surprises; usually scary ones.

"Nami-swan," Sanji moaned, "I was going to protect you. Marimo can go with Luffy."

"Ah, that's a good idea Sanji-kun," she said sweetly. "Let's let Luffy and Zoro lead a group into the jungle." Sanji merely hung his head in reply, as Nami continued. "Luffy's group will explore into the jungle. See if you can find where that light was coming from. My group will follow the beach and see if we can spot a ship. Remember, if you see anything, don't go crazy. Call the other group and we'll meet up."

After everyone was clear on the plan, the two groups began their respective treks across the island. Nami was still not sure of what would happen, but she at least felt safer on the beach than under the thick canopy of the unexplored wilderness. She removed her shoes to walk barefoot in the hot sand. The sun was bright in the cloudless blue sky, and she listened to the surf as she walked along, oblivious to her companions. Maybe, she allowed herself to think, this would be fun. Then, the rain began.

The ground was soft and damp as they stepped through the dense foliage on the forest floor. Light was scarce through the leaves of the tall, tropical trees that stood sentinel every few feet. It was raining they could tell, but hardly a drop made it to them. More often, streams of water would form, flowing along branches, down heavy trunks, and into the cold ground. Thick, moss covered roots rose from the ground like huge, shriveled, brown fingers. They moved lightly, but it was not easy going as feet sank into mud with every step. Several times, shoes had to be retrieved by hand, until all four were barefoot just to save them the trouble. The sounds of life emanated from the area around them. Frogs, insects, birds, and creatures of unknown origin sang their songs from the shadows, and movement could be seen everywhere. It was rare to see one of these creatures, but quite often a splash or the shaking of a plant would indicate something was making its escape. They could hear the rain, too, as it beat against the canopy far above them. There was so much happening all at once, and of course, Luffy was enjoying every moment of it.

"Sugo-i!" he would call from a nearby tree he'd scaled in chase of something. He bounced from here to there, sandals tucked into his belt, and his precious straw hat dangling behind him. Every now and again he would return to show Usopp a large bug, or a strange nut or fruit. Then, he would catch something in the corner of his eye and be off again. Sanji, to his delight, had been commissioned by Robin to carry her piggy-back style through the mud. He leapt from root to root, avoiding the ground as best he could. Usopp was wallowing in the soft squalor, picking random plants and inspecting them. Every now and then he would pause, turning a plant around in his hand, scrutinizing it and saying "Hmm," or "Ah, I see." They continued on for several hours this way, enjoying the coolness of the day. As time moved on, Luffy began to slow his pace, and eventually he made his way up beside Sanji.

"Oi, Sanji. Cook this." He said smiling, a lizard the size of a small bear thrown over his shoulders. Intrigued as he always was by a challenge, the chef eyed the creature curiously.

"Ah, I could probably do that. Maybe I could make a marinade from some of this local fruit…" He mused as he stroked his chin thoughtfully, eyeing the humongous, scaly beast.

"If we're stopping, I think this would be a good place to do so." Robin said. "There seems to be a stream over there. Maybe we can get water from it."

"Hai, Robin-chwan! You're so smart to think so!" Sanji cried as Robin hopped down and walked toward the stream.

"This is ridiculous!" Nami screamed as she tramped through the wet sand, shivering under the cold, heavy rain that had been pouring on them all day.

"It's just rain." Zoro replied, ignoring the obvious displeasure of his walking companion.

"No, it's not 'just rain'. There aren't any clouds in the sky. It shouldn't be possible for it to rain."

"But, don't you make rain all the time Nami?" Chopper asked.

"No, I make clouds that make rain. This is not possible!"

"Well it seems to be so, Nami-san. We will just have to put up with it for now, even though we're soaked to the bone; except, I'm only bones. Yohohoho!" Brooke mused.

It was so strange, Nami thought to herself. How could the weather keep changing so rapidly? How could there be no indication of what it was going to do? It was not only puzzling, but it worried her. This island was turning out to be very peculiar, and in her experience, any New World island that seemed peculiar was also very, very dangerous. Worse still, every time the weather changed, it left her feeling more useless than she had ever felt since leaving Cocoyashi for the final time. Predicting the weather had always been something that only she could do, and now she didn't even have that. Regardless, they trekked on. The sand was packed tightly from the rain, but it still filled their shoes, weighing them down as they went. The ocean to their left was calm under the torrent of warm rain, and no ships were docked anywhere within sight. To the right, the jungle loomed dark and foreboding, overgrown to the point where no light seemed to enter or leave its borders. There was a constant stream of screeches, howls, chirps, tweets, and other sounds emanating from within, and even the sound of the rain was not enough to drown it out.

They had been walking for hours before they came across the large galleon, its mangled remains pressed into the sand for an unknown number of years. The dark wood was rotting away under the constant attack of the tide. Half of the ship had long since fallen back to the sea, and what had been left was nothing more than a home for fungi and various sea creatures. Part of a mast still rose from the slanted deck, broken near the base, and jagged where the wood had splintered and snapped.

"I don't like this," Chopper said as they got closer.

"Ah, neither do I," Nami said. The old ship was creating in her a sense of unease as if it were something that she should definitely avoid. "I wonder if there are any people around," she said, turning to the swordsman. "Well, Zoro? Where is everyone? You're the one who can sense them. Tell us where they are!"

"Eh? It doesn't work like that. I can feel a presence, but it's vague. I just know it's 'around'."

"Can you at least tell us if we're getting closer?" Nami asked incredulously.

"Oh, Nami-san, I believe we are getting closer." Brooke said.

"How would you know?" Nami scoffed and turned to glare at the skeleton.

"I don't, but perhaps they do." He said, pointing up at the jungle. A doom cast over the faces of Nami and Chopper, and Zoro quirked an eyebrow as turned to look at what Brooke had seen. In the tops of the trees, armed with spears and bows, were about thirty small, angry-looking men ready to attack. Zoro smirked and laid his left hand on the hilt of his faithful Wado Ichimonji.

"Heh, looks like things just got interesting."


	3. A Warm Welcome

_A/N: So, I have an announcement. Ch. 2 was too short. I want them to be longer. I don't know exactly how long this will be, but I'd rather have longer chapters. Hopefully I can get one out every week to two weeks. I'll admit I'm not the fastest or most reliable writer, but I'm trying to be better. At least I'm not GRRM… bastard, finish __Winds of Winter __already!_

Disclaimer: I posed nude for an art class today. They didn't ask me to. I think they were making ceramic bowls. I don't own One Piece.

A Warm Welcome

He almost couldn't take it anymore as he watched the meat crackle on the makeshift spit that Sanji had placed over the fire. It smelled of butter, garlic and hickory, and was starting to blacken a bit around the edges. Luffy sat with his face almost touching the fire as he inhaled the sweet aroma.

"Oho… Sanji! Is it ready yet?" He said, drooling.

"Oi, oi, not yet. Don't touch it until it's done you shitty captain." Sanji had taken to the task of making lunch quickly enough, but Luffy was starting to get on his nerves. The jungle was beginning to come alive around them. The animals were nearly as interested in the roasted meat as Luffy, and they were betting louder by the moment. When they had decided to stop for lunch, Robin had chosen a large tree to sit against and pulled out a book, smiling like she did. Usopp had been a bit more active, and began to search the nearby jungle for strange plants and other creatures. Luffy had remained though, sticking so close to Sanji, that he was afraid that the captain would drool on him at any moment. He peered at him over the fire, the heat distorting his already goofy facial expression. "Look, why don't you go find something…"

"Hey Sanji," Luffy interrupted, staring quizzically into the fire.

"E-eh?" The chef stuttered, somewhat taken aback by the sudden question, but more so by the serious look on his captain's face. It was as if Luffy was suddenly in deep thought, staring unblinking at the fire.

"Have you ever liked a girl?" Luffy asked, just as serious as his face.

"W-what? Er… of course. I love…"

"I mean really, really liked one; more than any other girl, or anyone else." Luffy interrupted again causing Sanji to pause.

"Oh, well… I… I guess..." Sanji became visibly crestfallen, realizing to what he was about to admit. "I guess… no. I haven't."

"Oh." There was a long pause, both men staring into the fire, before Luffy began again. "If you did, what would you do, I mean, differently?"

He thought for a moment. It wasn't something that had ever crossed his mind. 'What would I do if I… fell in love?' Was that was Luffy was asking him? How could he answer that? Why would Luffy ask something so strange? It was uncharacteristic of the rubber-man to be interested in anything that wasn't directly in front of him, beckoning for his attention. Now, he was asking about something as intangible as love? Or was he? Sanji could not decide. Even worse, he was not prepared with an answer. He looked back at the rubber man, but their eyes never met. Luffy was just staring that blank stare that he had, never blinking, looking deep into the cook flame as if there was some hidden answer that he could find if only he watched it long enough.

"Well…" Sanji stumbled on the words. "I suppose I'd tell her. You know, it'd be different I guess. Maybe I'd… well, maybe…" He thought hard, but the answer didn't seem to be there. "Luffy, why are you asking me something like this?"

"Eh?" Luffy looked up at Sanji for a moment, his large eyes staring blankly at the chef. Then, out of nowhere his lips curved up into a large, toothy grin. "No reason. I'm gonna go find something to do. Hurry up, I'm hungry and I want meat," he said matter-of-factly before hopping to his feet and running off toward Usopp.

"A-ah," was all the cook could say as he watched, open-mouthed, as Luffy ran off. This day was definitely going to be a strange one.

The sun was bright as it shown into Nami's eyes. When she closed them to block it out, her eyelids glowed a hot red, allowing her no respite. They had tied ropes around her ankles and wrists, binding her to a shaft that two of her captors carried between them on their shoulders. She hung, cooking in the hot sun as the tight, woven hemp cut into her soft skin. The men who carried her were small in stature, and time to time her back would scrape where a root or rock stuck up from the dirt, or where the ground shifted height too suddenly. They had been moving for hours, or less maybe, she could not tell. Time seemed to stretch before her as she swayed above the leaves and mud of the forest floor. She was beginning to regret her decision back at the beach.

She thought of the look Zoro had given her when she had told him to put away his sword and allow the native warriors to take them. It would have been easy for them to fight their way through, these men were nothing to them in power or skill, but Nami had come up with a better idea. Thinking that they could use the natives to find out more about the small, strange, mystery island, she had told her party to submit to capture. She had thought that they would be taken to a village of some sort, or imprisoned. She had expected to learn where their enemy was. This was not what she had anticipated. Her shoulders ached, her wrists and ankles were beginning to bleed, and her skin was already reddening from the sun. Her cheek was bruised and throbbing where she had been struck with the butt of a spear while attempting to speak to Zoro. The swordsman was hung the same way only a few feet in front of her, but she had not tried to speak again.

As the sun began to set, Nami finally decided that this strategy was not going to get them anywhere useful. She was about to tell Zoro to break free, when one of the men, most likely the leader, shouted a command. He was a small man, less than five feet from head to foot, but still larger than many of his fellows. His dark bronze skin was slick with sweat, and black, matted hair hung down over black eyes.

Every one of the dwarfish warriors was dressed in loose fitting pants made of tapa cloth, and a leather vest adorned with ceremonial etchings. Their skin was dark from the sun, and they bore tattoos on every part of their bodies. Some had more tattoos than others, and this particular man had more than any of them. Faded, black and red ink covered his arms and chest, and from what she could see, his back and legs were marked as well. They were exquisite pictures of animals, stylized in a way that must have been unique to their island culture. On his chest, a snarling bear dripped blood from his claws and snout. Two feral dogs fought savagely on his left shoulder, and a large snake slithered from the dogs to his wrist. His right arm depicted a large, lizard-like creature with sharp, razor-edged teeth. There were other, smaller ones as well. So many, that with all the bouncing and swaying, Nami had not even been able to count them all. Fifty, or eighty, or a hundred even. Many were so closely drawn that she could not tell where one ended and another began.

His voice was deeper than it had any right to be coming from such a small person, and when he spoke the others stopped immediately. While he was giving commands in a language that she did not know, Nami took the moment to take in her surroundings. This part of the jungle seemed barer than the rest. Though the trees that stood sentinel here were as tall as any she had ever seen, they were far enough apart that the light shown through and she could see a good distance from where their little procession stood. She could see Brooke, lashed to a large, wooden cart. He was too long to be carried by the short men, so he had been bound at wrists and ankles, arms and legs pulled tight in four separate directions to keep him from moving. Further back, Chopper was locked in a small wooden cage borne by four men, all barely larger than the reindeer they carried.

Two of the men who had not been tasked with transporting the prisoners, made their way to two trees that flanked the small party on either side. They were tall, dead trees, their bark the color of ash fresh after a fire. At first, Nami had not noticed them. They were merely two trees in a vast forest, but now… It was as if they were the same tree grown twice. They were tall, thin, ash grey, with no leaves or branches to decorate them. Were they even trees at all?

Her question was answered almost immediately, as the two men opened small flaps in the trunks of the strange trees and each slid out a long, metal handle. Then, they began to push the handles and a loud, clinking sound began to echo across the island. Then the ground began to tremble. Nami peered around, trying to see. She could see that their captors were looking to the front of the convoy, but her head was pointed toward the back and she could not see far enough around them to tell what was happening. She could only hear the clinking and feel the rumbling of the earth as the two men walked round and round the dead trees, pushing the metal handles, grunting from exertion as they worked.

Again the leader barked a command, and again they began to walk. Nami laid back her head, tired. Her bright, orange hair dragging across the ground collecting dirt and leaves as they went. Suddenly, she felt herself rise. When she looked up, she saw that the men had lifted her over their heads, their short, powerful arms teeming with straining muscles. Then, her weight shifted, the ropes digging into her as they started down a hill. No, she thought, they weren't going down a hill. They were going down a flight of stairs… metal stairs. A cool, dry breeze rose up from beneath them, making her shiver as her body adjusted to the temperature. Looking up, she could see that they were descending into a cavernous expanse under the ground. She watched as the large, square hole that they had come through closed, two giant chains clinking loudly as they moved along the large ceiling. She smiled a wry, satisfied smile. This is what they had been waiting for.

"Zoro, Chopper, Brooke!" she called.

"Ah," Zoro replied casually. "I've been waiting for this." He threw an evil, hooded look to one of the men carrying him, and in less than an instant he'd grabbed the post to which he was tied with both hands and slid his feet to the end, kicking the man in the face and sending him careening down the stairs. He hit the floor hard on his back. The second man carrying him made for a knife at his belt, but the pirate was too fast. He whipped around to his feet, grabbed the loose end of the post and flung the small man off into the darkness of the cavern screaming. They never heard him land.

The sun was still visible over the horizon, if only just barely. The late-dusk sky wilted into a palette of dark blues and purples, and it was getting colder. He could feel the chill of the wind as it blew off of the ocean carrying mists of salt and water. All around him the jungle rose, blanketing the island in black and green. He looked in every direction, but could see no sign of the ship, or the other crew members.

It had been hours since they had first realized that they were lost. Sanji and Robin were with them, but even they couldn't remember which way was which. It wasn't their fault. They had tried to keep their bearings, but something about the jungle was too unfamiliar. Everything seemed alive. Everything seemed to move and dance in the shadows. Each tree looked unerringly like every other, and they seemed to shift and sway around them. As the sky started to darken, it was Robin who had admitted it first.

"It seems that we're lost," she had said nonchalantly.

"Ah," Sanji replied. "It's getting dark, too. We may have to camp here tonight."

"Ohooo, I love camping!" Luffy was the only one who seemed excited though, and Usopp looked absolutely terrified at the prospect.

"Maybe, it would be a good idea to determine where the ship is. We can't see much from here, but perhaps from the top of one of these trees we could see the beach before the sun goes down."

"Ah, Robin-chwaaaan. What a beautiful mind! As long as you're here, I can stay lost in this jungle forever," Sanji cooed.

Luffy had been the one to volunteer, grabbing the highest branch that he could see, and slinging himself up to, through, and over the canopy. It was striking as he looked out over the ocean toward the setting sun. He breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet scents of earth and sea, mixed with the wet, muggy smells of the jungle below. The sounds of the island grew louder as night fell, the darkness coming alive with the howls of wolves, the hoots of owls, and as many chirps, croaks, and other noises as he had ever heard. There was definitely something about this island, he thought as he sat on a high branch, stretching his neck high into the evening air. The spirit surrounding the island was like nothing he had ever felt. The island's life swirled, mixed, and turned over and over itself in an endless maelstrom making it impossible to determine what was happening around him. He could only feel the powerful Hakis that projected from the churning torrent. Shanks, Benn Beckman, Lucky Roo, Yasopp and the rest of the Red Haired crew were on the island, he could feel Zoro as well.

Zoro's haki was powerful. Powerful even as his own, but Zoro's haki was dark as well, and aggressive. It was constantly moving, attacking the energies around him, subjugating everything else. Even when the swordsman slept, his haki never did. It was a dependable, strong energy, and Luffy thought as he always had, that he had picked the right man to be his first-mate. He could feel Sanji's as well, not as powerful, but nearly so. It wasn't the power of Sanji's haki that made it unique however, but the smooth ease with which it flowed. Where Zoro's haki was constant, commanding, and erratic; Sanji's was calm. It streamed from him casual, cool, avoiding obstacles rather than going through them. It showed control, and when the time came to fight, his would be among the strongest of powers. He could sense the others as well, though they mixed more indistinctly with the others. He could discern them partly because they were powerful, partly because his senses had grown so acute over time, but mostly because he knew them so well. Usopp, Chopper, Brooke, Robin, Franky back on board the Thousand Sunny, and…

Warm. That was the most prominent feeling that her energy gave him. It wasn't a specific feeling, just warm. Sometimes, it made him think of the sun and summer. Other times, he would remember nights in the forest on Mt. Colubo with Ace and Sabo, sitting with his face toward the fire, laughing and singing and dreaming of great pirate adventures. It made him think of the kitchen, where Sanji would be cooking a meal, the heat and the scent protruding from the small oven making his mouth water. Warm was his favorite feeling. He thought he would like her to be there with him. There to see the night sky over the ocean as they had done so often recently. After a moment he blinked and took a deep breath of the cool night air, and turned to look back down through the trees.

"Oi!" he yelled into the darkness. Now that the sun had fallen from the sky he could hardly see the jungle floor almost two hundred feet below.

"Luffy!" Usopp called back. "Can you see the Sunny from up there?"

"Nope!" Luffy leapt from the branch that he had been perched on, and came careening back toward the earth, snapping branches as he fell. He landed with a splat in a large pool of mud, the splash hitting both Usopp and Sanji, who had thrown himself in front of Robin as a shield.

"Oi, oi," Sanji groaned, wiping himself off. "Watch what you're doing, shitty captain." Luffy climbed slowly out of the mud, grinning wide, his entire body covered in thick, wet mud.

"Fufufu," Robin seemed amused. "If we cannot find the ship, then we should have to set up camp. I think it would be difficult to move through this jungle in the dark."

"Yosh!" Luffy exclaimed, throwing a muddy fist into the air. "I've decided. We'll camp here! Sanji, you're in charge of dinner. Usopp, you're in charge of ghost stories. Robin, we'll sing the songs!"

"Fufufu, I think I'll leave the singing to you Luffy," she said.

They walked a bit further, hiking up a shallow slope until it crested and flattened under their feet. Robin had suggested that this would be a good place to make camp, since the water from the rains would wash down the hill leaving this area nice and dry for them to sleep. So, they found a spot against a large tree, tucked in between two large roots, and began to settle in for the night.

Two large, hollowed logs covered in moss and lichen lay a few feet from the tree, so Luffy and Usopp brought them over to use as chairs, while Sanji set to work starting a fire. The jungle made for good hunting and foraging, and without going very far from the camp at all, they were able to collect more than just a good meal. Dinner had consisted of roasted frog smothered in wild berry sauce, steamed sweet grass salad with fresh almonds and sprinkled with lemon juice, and all the bananas, coconuts, grapefruits, and tangerines they could eat. Luffy had liked the tangerines the best. They were soft and ripe, and the sour juices spilled out down his chin as he bit into them. Sanji had made Luffy help with the shelter before he could eat and they had collected plenty of sticks and kindling for the fire, so after dinner they had plenty of time for what Luffy called "camping things." Luffy sang terribly at the top of his lungs, several songs which he made up as he sang. Usopp told stories of ghosts and witches who haunted the jungles of the world, and scared himself more than the others. Sanji puffed slowly on a cigarette, and was enjoying relaxing after the long day's trek, when a sudden noise caught his ears.

Standing, he peered into the darkness of the jungle. He squinted, trying to see what may have been there, lurking about in the brush, but he could see nothing but darkness and the faint outline of nearby trees. Then a loud, bloodcurdling scream rang through the night, more terrifying than any sound in the known world. It wasn't a scream of terror, but a scream of attack. It was as if a great, horrible banshee were howling at them, making a sound to pierce through their hearts like a sword through silk. Usopp fell off of the log, landing on his back on the ground. Luffy sprang to his feet, and they were on them. Small, dark skinned men covered in tattoos, with spears and knives and axes all made of wood and stone. They were screaming painful, ear-splitting screams, shouting death at their victims as they came at them.

Luffy whirled, throwing his foot in the air and driving a calloused heel into one man's face, knocking him into another one and sending them both flying back into the night. Two more came at Sanji, who disabled them both effortlessly with a few swift movements of his feet, never once removing his hands from his pockets. Robin handled one as well; soft, graceful hands sprouting from his body to break him where he stood. Usopp however, was pinned where he had fallen. They had come on so fast that the sharpshooter had not had time to react, and the three of them were scrabbling in the dirt, fighting and struggling with the two attackers on top. Luffy saw the commotion, and for a moment made to help his nakama. But as he moved, he saw that Usopp was calm, holding both attackers at bay. He had somehow stayed their weapons with either hand, and was holding a small, round, green pebble between his teeth. When he bit the pebble, it exploded into a puff of dark, grey smoke, engulfing the entire campsite. Luffy, Sanji, and Robin broke into fits of coughing as the thick smoke invaded their lungs and cut their breaths short. Luffy looked around, but his eyes were watering, and even where he could see through the cloud, there was nothing but blurred color and dark, indistinguishable shapes.

When the smoke cleared Luffy looked about, trying to gain some semblance of bearing. He spied Usopp, sitting casually, arms crossed, his wide brimmed hat pulled forward shading his eyes. Both men lay unmoving at his feet. He smiled that unique, sly smile that he used when he wanted to look impressive, and pushed his hat up with a thumb.

"Sugoi," Luffy chuckled as he ran to his best friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "Usopp, that was awesome!"

"Eh?" Usopp replied coolly. "It was just a smoke bomb. Those guys weren't a problem."

"Problem or not," Sanji said, finishing his cigarette. "Who are they, and where did they come from?"

He looked down. A few of the undersized men littered the ground where they had fallen. There were five of them. The two that had attacked Luffy had never come back out of the dark, but four had been left lying unconscious. The one that had attacked Robin would not be giving them any information. They were native to the island, shorter than normal people, but powerful and quick. Their bodies were canvassed by tattoos in black ink, interposed by slashes and splatters of dark crimson as blood. The tattoos were gory, frightening things depicting scenes of animals mauling and biting and tearing at each other.

"They appear to be warriors of some sort," Robin noted as she stepped closer to inspect one of them. She crouched down beside his unconscious body and touched one of the tattoos on his arm, drawing two fingers across it lightly. Usopp shivered.

"Wh-what do we do with them n-now?" Usopp asked.

"Well, we could question them," Sanji put in.

"Ah, we should tie them up," Robin said.

"I-I have some rope… oh, and tape, too."

Usopp offered up the contents of his bag, and they began tying the natives to one of the large logs. The flames beat deep red and orange and yellow against the vast, overwhelming darkness of the jungle around them. Sanji and Usopp tied the men to the log, wrapping the thin, sturdy rope about their chests and arms, seating them in the dirt with their legs spread forward. As small as they were they somehow looked even smaller in the firelight, sitting there in leather and thin cloth, with their chins on their chests. One had dark brown hair the others black, and all of them wore rings in their noses.

"They sure are strange," Luffy said, poking one in the head with a small stick he had found.

"I suppose they're the inhabitants of this island," Robin said.

"So, they live here? In the jungle? Oho, that sounds like fun." Luffy chuckled in amusement as he continued to poke them, moving wide eyed from captive to captive with his stick. When he came to the last one in the row, he moved as if to poke him as well. Instead, his stick was broken in half as the man awoke in a rage, thrashing and pulling on his bindings and rousing the others in his struggle. He was shouting in a gruff, low voice, much lower than seemed possible for a man of his stature. The language he used was strange; a terse, sharp language that felt aggressive to the ears.

"Great," Sanji muttered. "How are we supposed to question them if we can't understand them?" They stood there listening to the men howl and shout, when suddenly Robin stepped up to the log, eyes wide with some new realization. She knelt, grabbing one of the men by the hair violently, jerking his head back and leaning in close to his face as he continued to yell.

"Er… eh, Robin-chan?" Sanji questioned.

"Sh…" Robin shushed him, never turning her face from the screaming warrior. After a minute or so, the shouting began to subside. Finally, the men succumbed to their restraints and fell silent. Soon, the noise of the jungle returned, and Robin rose. When she turned, there was a strange look on her face. It was a mix of fear and apprehension, but equal wonder and excitement.

"This… this language." Her gaze shifted, looking directly at Luffy. "It's hard to understand it spoken. I've only ever read the writings before, but… the language that they speak is the same as on the poneglyphs. It's the ancient language of the Void Century."

His men sat around him, drinking, singing, and generally making merry. Making merry was certainly something they were good at, and mostly what they were known for these days. It was all the better for Shanks though, as he saw no reward in fighting. He was perfectly happy with a good drink in his hand, a song on his lips, and a deep laugh in his belly. As he stood to make his way to the fire, his head swam from the sake, his cheeks and nose flushed a dark shade of pink. He could feel his phantom arm itch as it always did when trouble was near. He didn't mind it; in fact, he had come to rely on it as he would a close friend. Through the years, he had grown accustomed to only having one arm. The feeling of the limb had slowly begun to fade away, until it was as if no arm had ever been there in the first place. Only when there was danger nearby did it bother him anymore, though these days, it seemed to do that a lot. He walked noisily to the fire, laughing and joking with his men as he went, sharing a swig or two with each as he passed. When he finally felt the heat of the flames lapping at his face, he stopped to stare into the depths of the blaze. Shifts of blue and orange played furtively in the center, logs crackling as if a hundred tiny, dancing ghosts were twirling and kicking upon the wood. He saw a thousand things in that fire. Dreams long ago achieved or forgotten swirled from his mind and took form, reminding him of years he could never get back. A breeze blew by causing the dancers to lean and flicker, and he felt the heat against his face shift and mix with the cool, salt breeze.

"He's here." His first mate Benn Beckman was standing beside him. He could not have said when the man had appeared, but when he spoke into the fire, his eyes burned with the reflection of the dancers within. Shanks wondered what he saw there, and whether the serious man remembered as he did.

"Ah." Shanks said, his phantom limb buzzing with warning.

"Will he be ready?"

"Ah. Of that I have no doubt. I only wonder…" He let his thought trail off, but no one knew him half so well as Benn Beckman.

"If we are," he said. Shanks took a swig of sake, the strong drink burning its way down his throat, warming his insides against the night. He smiled.

"Ah."


	4. A Night of Discovery

_A/N: So, here's another chapter. Continuing to work on this is good for me. I've had a taste of finishing multi-chapter stories now, and I don't want to disappoint anymore. _

Disclaimer: I don't own a single piece of One Piece. Could you even own a piece of One Piece? I mean, if it's not one piece, can it still be One Piece?

A Night of Discovery

The hall seemed to stretch on and on, an endless tunnel draped in darkness. Cold, dry air rested heavily on her bare shoulders, and her skin was awash in goose-prickles. There was no wind, no sound, no indication that the world outside had ever existed, and perhaps it no longer did. There was no way to tell. The entire world could have gone up in a wash of fire and smoke and they would never have even known. But it wasn't the cold, nor the lack of island sounds, nor the endless walking that made this place so insufferable. It was the unnatural and absolute blackness that surrounded them.

It had only taken a minute or so for them to overpower the native warriors that had taken them captive. Small, bronze-skinned men with spears were sent careening from the staircase into the dark chasm, or were rendered unconscious and left there, tied to their own carrying posts. They had fought bravely enough, standing fiercely against the overwhelming power of the Strawhat Pirates. Their spears however, had done little more than strike air or break. Their arrows and throwing daggers hissed off into the vast expanse beyond the staircase, bloodless and useless.

When they had finished, Nami had stopped to take in her surroundings. The stairs were made of some sort of smooth stone, not metal, as she had originally thought. It was thick, hard material, and she could see no cracks or cuts. It was as if the entire staircase was cut from one enormous stone slab. She could see the door above them, locked in place. The sun had undoubtedly been shining when they had entered, but only torches remained to shield them from the encroaching dark of the massive underground hollow.

The torches had ended with the stairs though, and the long, flat walkway that had greeted them at the bottom was dark and terrible. When she had realized that they would not be able to see as they pressed further on, she considered turning back. Zoro would have no problem cutting through the stone slab that blocked the entrance she was certain, but what then? 'No,' she thought. They had come too far though, and she knew that a place so large and well hidden must hold secrets that they would want to learn, so she had resolved to press on.

"Zoro," she whispered.

"Eh?" Zoro was leading the party down the hall. In the dark, she had decided that it was safest to have him in front. He couldn't get any more lost than she would, and at least if they were attacked he could defend them. Nami walked behind him holding his coat so as not to lose him, followed by Chopper and Brooke doing the same.

"Do you think we should turn back?"

"I think something's down here that we're not supposed to see," he said, never stopping.

"But it's so dark." Chopper said, a small quaver in his voice.

"Ah," Zoro said, but kept on moving. His pace was slow but methodical. Keeping a hand on the wall to their right, they walked on, seeing nothing.

The ground was hard stone, dry and dusty. As they walked, the sound of their feet echoed unnervingly off the walls. Otherwise, there was nothing to accompany them but darkness.

After what seemed like days moving like snails through tepid water, Zoro came to a sudden halt.

"What is it? Can you see something?" The navigator asked, apprehensive.

"No, I can feel something." Zoro said in his monotone voice. "There's a door here."

"Eh, a door!?" Nami was more excited than she would have predicted at the prospect of leaving the gloomy dark of the hallway, and pushed forward throwing Zoro to the ground as she clamored to the door, him shouting in surprise and pain as he hit the ground.

"Oi!" he shouted as he shot back up to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"

She couldn't tell if he was yelling at her or off in the other direction as dark as it was, but it made no matter. She did not fear Zoro's wroth, and escape from this wretched hell was far more important. She raised a hand to touch the door, guiding it back and forth to find the edges. It was a door, she was certain. She couldn't see even her own nose in the dark, but the large, wooden slab inlaid in the cold, stone wall was everything she'd hoped for since they'd reached the bottom of the steps. It was hard wood, cracked and splintered, and behind it she could feel warmth.

'No, it's not warmth it's…'

Sliding her hand slowly and gently, she searched for the handle that would give her egress. She found it to the right about waist high. A large, stone handle carved and filed smooth as steel. She pulled; nothing. She pulled again, harder this time. Again, nothing. Wrapping a second hand around the stone grip, she pulled as hard as her small arms would allow. She put a foot against the wall and grunted as she yanked at the handle. Finally, with the loud, high-pitched whine of metal hinges that had long since gone to rust, the door gave way.

When it did, a soft, blue glow crept out from the small crack she had created. Filled with a sudden hope, and a desperate need for light, Nami grabbed the handle again and pulled with every bit of strength that she could muster. When she was finished, she was breathing heavily, and a fine sheen of sweat coalesced on her skin.

"Eh, Nami?" Chopper asked, concern lining his small voice. "Are you okay?"

She could see him now, the faint, blue light giving his big eyes a purple sheen. She saw Zoro and Brooke as well, standing around her in the dark. She hit them all.

"You could have helped me you know!" She huffed. Turning, she looked for the first time through the door. Dust hung in the air, dancing and swirling through beams of soft blue and pale white light that streamed down from a ceiling that they could not see. She stepped inside, followed closely by her companions. She looked left and right, but the dust and light clouded her vision and she could not see far. Then, she heard the sound of steel on wood as Zoro unsheathed his Sandai Kitetsu.

"There's something strange about this place. It feels… wrong." Brooke whispered as he repositioned a hand on his scabbard, moving the hilt of the sword so as to draw it quickly.

Nami felt it too. The air around them was warmer than it had been in the hallway. Heavy and thick like hot breath. She kept moving forward, placing each step softly and deliberately. She did not know what she would find down in this place, so deep in the earth that life didn't seem to exist. In a haunting light cast from somewhere they could not see. She could feel the cold tendrils of fear begin to climb up her spine, turning her insides to liquid. It was then, through the dark, dusty air that she saw it, and the strange words chiseled into the stone.

"Whoa…" Chopper whispered. His jaw slack as he stared up at the massive obelisk.

It must have been more than fifty meters high and twenty meters across at its narrowest point, set back into the wall at a depth that could not be known. Its wide base stretched out in front of them, slanting upward like a solid, stone pyramid from which the top had been hacked off.

"It's… a poneglyph," Nami said breathily. It wasn't hard to recognize with its enormous stone visage covered in the ancient scrawl. It depicted the history of the world. At least she assumed it did. There was only one woman in the world who could read the stone, and it certainly wasn't Nami.

"Eh!?" The boys exclaimed together.

"Aren't they usually smaller?" Zoro asked.

"Mm, I've never seen one this big before," she said. All the poneglyphs that they had come across so far along the Grand Line were large. Ten to fifteen feet tall, they were pillars of incredible size in their own right. But this… This was something else entirely. It was three or four times as large as the biggest of the others at least, and the writing was different somehow. The script was thinner but more elaborate. It was as if the other poneglyphs had been doodles in some great stone sketchbook and this was a final masterpiece, completed and laid in this secret, frightening place.

She stepped forward raising a hand in front of her, guided to it like a moth to a flame. She felt a finger press against the rough rock. It was so warm to the touch that it seemed to permeate through her fingers. She traced the lettering lightly. There was something about it that made her feel complete. As if this spot was the end of her journey. Suddenly, she wanted to sit. She felt as though she could spend forever in the dark that she had so wanted to escape from moments ago. She pulled back her hand slowly, looking at her fingers as she felt the warmth leave them.

"I would be careful with that if I were you." The voice came from behind her. She whirled just in time to see the others do the same. Wreathed in ambient blue, a silhouette leaned casually against the frame in the doorway. Zoro raised his sword, and Nami knew that the man was a threat.

"What is it?" She asked, her breath nearly failing her as she did.

"Heh…" The man shouldered himself off the wall and moved into the light. He was not exceedingly tall or well built. He was muscular, but not thick, and his shoulders were hidden inside a large white cape patterned with indigo stars. He wore a large belt about his waist that supported a small leather ammo pouch. His hair hung down in dreadlocks of muddy blonde, around a square face and jaw. He smiled.

"That's not really for me to say. You'll need to talk to the captain about that." Nami looked at him for a moment, not daring to move. Then she raised a hand.

"Zoro, it's okay." She turned to the swordsman, but Sandai Kitetsu was resting silently in its sheathe.

Luffy awoke to the sounds of birds in the trees and the scraping of metal on wood. Morning had come and it was time to get moving. Sanji had made that clear last night.

"Nami-san isn't answering her den-den-mushi," he'd said as they sat around the fire. Sanji had been trying to contact their navigator and her half of the crew for several hours with no response of any kind. Nami had said that they should call if there was any trouble, but Luffy didn't think this counted. Their prisoners had gone to sleep, still tied to the log. They hadn't even put up a real fight. Their attackers looked strong, but they were weak.

"Oi, Luffy," Sanji said. "Nami-san could be in trouble. We should go find them."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Robin looked up from the book she was holding. It was small and brown, and not the normal books that she usually had. Instead of reading it, she had spent most of the night writing in it and whispering strange words.

"It's very dark out. As difficult as it was to move through this forest during the day, it would be much more so now. We would have no way to know which direction we were going or what was happening around us. I think it would be better to sleep and start out again in the morning."

"Ah," Usopp said, his voice quavering. I agree with Robin.

"What about Nami-swan!?" Sanji moaned, tears streaming in rivers down his cheeks.

"Shishi," Luffy had to chuckle. "It's Nami. She'll be fine." The distraught cook looked at him intensely for a moment, but after a moment he chuckled and relaxed. He lit a cigarette in the campfire and placed it in his lips.

"Heh, I guess that's so."

"Ah," Usopp added. "And she has Zoro, Chopper, and Brooke with her too. Nobody can beat them as long as they're together."

So they had slept. It was cool in the morning mist of the jungle. Everything was damp, and Luffy felt a shiver run through him as he sat up. A large lizard greeted him as he did; the branch it clung to bending under its weight until it was almost touching Luffy's still half-sleeping face. It blinked its scaly eyes, and he blinked back. It flipped its tongue at him as lizards do. In return, Luffy stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry, spitting in the creature's face causing it to leap from the branch and scurry off into the brush. Rubbing his eyes and stretching, he began to awaken. The forest was beautiful in the early morning. Pale light was filtering through the trees casting opaque, grey shadows all around, bringing to life everything they touched. Even the trees and the dirt seemed to be moving as the damp began to settle across the green and brown pad of forest floor. He took a deep breath and could smell the fragrant aroma of meat turning on a spit. Sanji was cooking. Grabbing his hat he began to make his way across the clearing to where the fire was. On his way, he passed their captives; the dark-skinned, small, strange men who had attacked them the night before. They were like no one he had ever seen, each covered in strange tattoos and staring at him through expressionless, almond-shaped, brown eyes.

"Oi, Luffy. Good morning." Usopp said in greeting as he arrived. The sharpshooter was sitting with some strange plant in his lap, picking seeds from the pods that attached up and down the stem.

"Good morning," Luffy replied happily. He could see the meat cooking now, turning slowly on the spit as Sanji cranked the handle, making sure the meat cooked evenly. The skin was beginning to blacken a bit, and he could tell that it was almost finished. His mouth started to water, and before he realized what he was doing, he was about to take a bite out of the sweet, tender, juicy…

"Oi…" Sanji scowled as he smacked Luffy on the head with his boot, smashing his chin into the dirt. "Don't even think about it, shitty captain. This is for everyone's breakfast, not just yours."

"I was just gonna look at it." Luffy pouted.

"Well look at it from over there."

When Sanji finally served breakfast, the meat was rare and tender, charred black on the outside, and slathered in a sweet, macadamia nut sauce. They spent the first part of the morning eating and discussing their next step.

"Did you get any information from those guys?" Sanji asked, indicating the native men in ropes.

Robin had spent most of the night talking with the men, trying to learn whatever she could from them.

"Un. They're here protecting something. Portae Custos. Guardians of the Gate." Robin said. "They've been the guardians of this island for hundreds of years."

"Shishi, guardians of what?" Luffy chuckled after swallowing his last bite of breakfast meat.

"The Gate." Robin replied.

"What gate? What's behind this gate?" Usopp asked.

"They didn't say. I can tell that it's important though. Somewhat like a deity or idol."

"You mean they worship it?" Sanji was puffing on a cigarette.

"Something like that. Though I think it's more like their god created 'the Gate'. It's a powerful and sacred item." There was a short pause, then Luffy smiled.

"Well, I've decided." His crew looked at him warily. "I like them. Let's let them go."

"Eee!?" Usopp's eyes bulged. "L-Luffy, we… we can't just let them go."

"Ne, he's right." Robin said.

"What would we do with them anyway? It would slow us down trying to drag them along." Sanji said, a casual smirk playing on his lips. Usopp looked desperately between them; first to Robin, then Sanji, then Luffy, and finally to the natives. He knew he was defeated.

"Che, fine. Do what you like." He puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms sullenly.

By mid-morning, when they were ready to leave, they all made their way over to the log where their prisoners remained bound. Luffy knelt before them and spoke, his customary smile spread wide across his boyish face.

"I'm Luffy. I'm gonna be the Pirate King." It was his favorite way to introduce himself, of course, because it was the truth. He could hear Robin standing beside him, translating as he spoke. The language they used was soft and fluid, beautiful to his ears. He continued. "We're gonna let you go, so don't try to fight us again. You can't win anyway, we're strong. Before we let you go, we want to ask you some questions." He paused, and then asked seriously, "What's the tastiest meat on this island?"

Sanji and Usopp crashed to the ground in startled disbelief, and Robin chuckled softly.

"Luffy," Robin said. "We need to know where to find Nami-san and the Red Haired Pirates, right?"

"Mm…" Luffy agreed with pursed lips. "Those things, too."

Robin giggled and asked the questions in their native tongue. For a moment, none of them spoke. They sat silently, gazing at Luffy with intensity in their eyes. Then, one spoke. He was the bravest of them, and carried more tattoos on his body that all the others combined. His entire body was a red and black canvas. Even his hard, sharp face was mostly covered, aside from his lips and a small area around the small, black pools of his eyes.

"Only those who have the key may pass," Robin translated as the man spoke the smooth language in a deep, sonorous tone.

"Key?" Luffy was confused. Robin spoke, the man answered, Robin translated.

"The key is him, he is the key." Luffy's face twisted into confusion, his head drooping to the side.

"Maybe we should ask him his name?" Usopp offered. Robin translated.

"His name is Galfridus."

"Galfridus, we're looking for a woman with orange hair and a man with red hair. Have you seen them?" Sanji was growing visibly impatient.

"He said that they know nothing about a woman, but the red haired man is here," the man continued to speak as Robin did. "He shelters in the 'House of The Gate'."

"Ah," Luffy grinned, and began to untie them. The small, bronze-skinned warriors seemed relieved as they stood and massaged the rawness from their wrists. The only one to remain implacable was the one who named himself Galfridus. He rose, never taking his eyes from Luffy's. Hard and stern, he looked at the young captain. He tried to stare through him, to determine his worth through his eyes. Luffy only smirked and stared back, unblinking. He knew this game, and it was one of his favorites. He would bare his strength to this man through will and instinct. There was truth in a man's eyes, he knew, and this man would realize his intent. He did.

"Follow." He spoke slowly, trying to make them understand. Luffy nodded, and they followed.

The heat crept back on them as the day pressed into the afternoon. Humidity hung in the air like a blanket, making their clothes stick to their skin. In the dim light of the jungle, mosquitos fluttered about fitfully, landing from time to time on arms, legs, or necks. Occasionally they even landed on faces to draw their red lunch from under the skin of their hosts. Never once, Luffy noticed, did the natives swat at the insects.

"Oi," Sanji said as he dodged a branched that whipped from Usopp's grasp as he moved carelessly through the brush. "Watch out!"

On and on they walked, through the afternoon and into the dying light of dusk. Luffy was dragging behind, one hand on his stomach as it grumbled, often and loudly. Hopelessly covered with sweat and sap and mud, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp had removed their shirts in hopes to gain relief. Robin had also stripped somewhat, tucking the shirt she was wearing into the waist of her white capri pants to reveal a purple bikini top. Luffy trudged on; moaning along with his poor, empty stomach and watching Usopp's suspenders dangle toward the ground.

"Hee-yah," Usopp moaned. "It wasn't this hot yesterday. What's going on?"

"Mm, Nami-san was also worried about the weather here." Robin added.

"Well, the sun's going down now. Maybe we should stop." Sanji turned to Robin. "Tell them to stop, and I'll get some dinner started." Robin called after the natives, but they did not stop.

"Oi, Frido!" Luffy called as his arm shot out and grabbed Galfridus by the back of his worn, leather vest. He hoisted the small man into the air and brought him back till he was hanging just off his feet, his eyes even with Luffy's.

"It's dinner time. We're gonna stop." Galfridus blinked and spoke calmly.

"He said that we're close now. We should keep going." Robin, it seemed, was getting quicker at her translation. She added, "He says that when we get there we can have all the meat we want."

"Eh!?" Luffy's eyes widened. "Yosh! Let's keep going then.

The day was extraordinarily hot, but the breeze that greeted him off the ocean was like an old friend. He basked in it as he did on any other day. The sun was shining high in the afternoon sky, and the smell of salt was palpable as he inhaled. He loved the ocean, and of course, he loved the ships that sailed it. He had been a shipwright all his life after all. He laid a strong, gentle hand on the Adam-wood railing and slid it lengthwise, leaning close to inspect the craftsmanship for blemishes and chips. There were none.

"Uraah!" Franky yelled as he leaned back and stretched, his massive, mechanical arms spreading into the sky. "I'm feeling SUPER today!"

He was alone on the Thousand Sunny, as he often was when they landed on strange islands. As the crew's shipwright, it fell to him to watch the ship at all times. He didn't mind though. He loved the Sunny-go. It was his baby. It was his pride and joy, his crowning achievement. He doted on the small brig sloop as if it were a child. He could spend hours upon hours prowling its decks, polishing and re-finishing, cleaning till the wood shone bright atop the glassy, blue waves. Even when he wasn't working on the Sunny, there was always something to do in his workshop. He drew schematics, tuned new machines and his own parts. It was important that he keep every piece in top condition. Sometimes, he even just enjoyed the serenity of a beautiful day on the deck, the grass beneath his feet and an ice-cold cola slowly perspiring in his hand. It was rare to get that kind of private time on a ship full of loud, boisterous pirates. He did enjoy the activity; he was the cause of quite a bit of it himself. But the opportunity to have a little time alone was never unwelcome.

He sat down in the grass on the main deck, feeling it brush against his bare legs. He lay back, placing his massive, mechanical hands behind his head and listening to the waves roll off the beach and crash against the ship. A list of all the things he could accomplish ran through his head. There were crew lines that could be oiled, hinges to be checked, he could do that inspection of the steering system that he'd been putting off. He sighed and stood, ready to get back to his duties. But when he turned toward the aft cabin, something flashed in the corner of his eye.

"Eh?" Franky whispered to himself as he moved slowly to the railing and looked out. Just off the horizon, he could see a ship. 'It's too far', he thought as he squinted. He closed his left eye, and extended his right like a telescope. It took a moment to focus, but when he did, he saw what was coming his way. Not a large ship, but three smaller ones, all flying the same banner; a pirate banner.

'Oh no…' Franky thought as he peered out to sea, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Rippling in the ocean wind were three skulls back to back, with bones behind, pointing in all directions. And on the bow of the center ship, laughing through broken and rotted teeth stood a man, with a beard as black as his eyes.


End file.
